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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26726305">Angels and Afterlives</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewildtype/pseuds/thewildtype'>thewildtype</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Killing Eve (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Black Mirror Episode: s03e04 San Junipero, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Slow Burn, Upload AU, WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?, all the gay staring, like really slooooow, like they exist on separate plains of existence slow, so much pining</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:00:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,172</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26726305</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewildtype/pseuds/thewildtype</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A love affair that defies the laws of nature, brought to you by capitalism.</p><p>OR </p><p>The Upload/ San Junipero AU no one asked for.</p><p>On hiatus not abandoned</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eve Polastri/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova, Maria/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Monday, the Worst of All Days</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome! This story is my first attempt at writing a Villaneve AU but this concept just had so much promise of angst that I couldn’t resist. </p><p>This story is dedicated to my wife who loved the Upload show so much that I couldn’t help but fix the major flaw it had by making it gay. Anyway, hope you all enjoy the wild ride!</p><p>Comments and kudos are much appreciated and the best form of motivation.</p><p>Please feel free to reach out to me here with your thoughts and feelings or you can always find me on tumblr @Please-Return-To-Villanelle</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Ping! Welcome to the 6<sup>th</sup> floor! Have a wonderful day, brought to you by Peel Inc. </em>
</p><p>Eve groaned as she trudged off the overly chipper elevator heading past the endless rows of open cubicles and straight for the communal break room. She was feeling particularly on-edge seeing as her beverage printer decided wait until Monday morning to crap out, thus depriving her of her much needed quad-shot latte.</p><p>After punching her selection into the shared machine, she stared intensely as the mechanical device whirred to life materializing her beloved caffeinated drink into existence right before her eyes. Wafting the seductive scent of her freshly printed latte made her feel more like a human.</p><p>Once she arrived at her workstation, she unceremoniously plopped her large handbag onto her desk and fell into her chair to drink her coffee in peace while she logged into her computer.  She could feel her body rebooting as the caffeine coursed through her veins.</p><p>“How many times do I have to remind you to erase the settings on the Starbucks Barristaless-Barista after your order is finished?” Eve sighed with annoyance as her least favorite co-worker ruined her rare moment of bliss.</p><p>“Fuck off Frank. I don’t have enough caffeine in my system to deal with you yet. Especially not on Monday, the worst of all days.”</p><p>Frank had the type of abrasive personality that only a mother could love. Or so Eve assumed. She had never personally met Frank’s mother, but for her sake, Eve hoped she was a woman void of all senses and therefore was mercifully incapable of dealing with the despicable human being she helped bring forth into the world.</p><p>“And I’m tired of asking you to be considerate of the other people that work in this office every bloody day, but here we are… again.” Frank droned on, determined to damper Eve’s day.</p><p>“Firstly, you’re not asking you’re mansplaining. Secondly and lastly, you are an adult capable of erasing the settings yourself before programing your own drink.” Eve said with finality. She turned her attention back to her monitor, typing in her employee ID and password, hoping Frank would get the hint to leave like a decent human being.</p><p>He did not.</p><p>“That’s not the point. The point is, I now have this vile concoction instead of what I wanted.”</p><p>Just then, Eve’s desk-mate made her arrival known by snatching the beverage out of Frank’s hand.</p><p>“Oh, is that for me? Thank you, Frank. You really shouldn’t have.” Elena took a long swig while staring daggers in Frank’s direction.</p><p>“You two are in sufferable.” Frank huffed, pivoting on his heel to return to the break room.</p><p>“Don’t forget to erase the settings first!” Elena yelled in his direction eliciting a much-needed laugh from Eve.</p><p>Eve ran her fingers through her curls which didn’t help in the slightest to tame her wild mane which she did not have time to address this morning thanks to her coffee trouble shooting fiasco. “I swear one of these days I’m going to murder that man.” She mumbled out of the corner of her mouth.</p><p>Elena almost choked on a sip of her coffee. “Careful Eve, you don’t want the boss to hear. She’ll fire you on the spot.” She scrunched her face in contemplation before continuing. “On second thought, she might give you a raise. I’m quite sure Carolyn daydreams about snuffing out Mr. Chocolate chip Frappuccino herself.”</p><p>“Perfect.” Eve replied, “She can put me out of my misery once and for all. Maybe losing the job I hate will motivate me to finally pursue one I want.”</p><p>Elena quirked an eyebrow in amusement. “Says the woman that has been at this so-called job she hates for ten years. Just admit you stay at this dead-end job because you would miss me way too much if you left.”</p><p>Eve sighed in resignation. “You’re right. I would miss my daily dose of Elena far too much.” Truth be told, Eve wished she had the will power to quit her customer service job she fell into and follow through with pursing her dream job as a programmer. But she was not a brave nor a confident woman. She knew if she were fired, the first thing she would do is grovel at Carolyn’s perfectly manicured feet pleading for her crappy job back.</p><p>“What did you get up to weekend?” Eve asking, steering the conversation into a less controversial territory.</p><p>“Oh, you know, just the usual, avoiding adult responsibilities and having another go at finding true love.” Elena said, her tone laced with sarcasm.</p><p>“Pft, did the latest in dating technology finally find <em>the one</em> for you?” Eve asked while rolling her eyes.</p><p>“Of course not! The evening was complete disaster, 2.5-star sex at best.” Elena said in between sips of coffee.</p><p>Eve all but yelped in surprise, “Yikes! Definitely not up to Elena standards.”</p><p>“You’re telling me. I mean he gave me 5-stars, naturally, so the whole ordeal wasn’t a complete waste of time. You should give it another go Eve, I mean when is the last time you got any?” Elena stated, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.</p><p>“No thank you, I would rather voluntarily hang out with Frank during non-work hours.” Eve replied.</p><p>She detested dating apps, each one promising the perfect human connection due their own superior algorithm designed to match compatibilities. She secretly suspected all the algorithms were the same and designed to match people based on the attractiveness of their profile pictures.</p><p>“That’s so grim! Just think about it ok? I don’t want to see you wasting that hot body. You’ve been single for a while now and should enjoy it!”</p><p>Elena was right, it’s been months since her divorce with her ex-husband Niko was finalized. She just didn’t want to get attached to another human being so soon. Part of their issue was they jumped into marriage at a young age, neither really knowing themselves fully, and Eve was enjoying getting to know herself better and figuring out her own needs and desires independent of another human being; but truth be told she was starting to get a little lonely, and sexually frustrated.</p><p>“Ha, thanks! I’ll think about it.” Eve conceded.</p><p>Elena commented over her shoulder, “Besides, if the dating apps don’t work out, I am <em>sure</em> Frank will still be super single and ready to mingle.” They shared a quick laugh before donning their headsets and turning their attention to their respective monitors.</p><p>Mondays were always the busiest weekday for the customer service representatives.</p><p>First, Eve checked in with their existing clients to ensuring there were no hiccups over the weekend. After popping in on her established customers and addressing all of their needs, she pivoted her attention to orienting new arrivals to their respective living centers.</p><p><em>Living</em> wasn’t exactly the right phrase.</p><p>More like newly crossed over individuals whose consciousnesses were copied over from the material world and uploaded into a virtual afterlife.</p><p>Eve began the process of registering her newest upload.</p><p>
  <em>Step 1: Set up a profile</em>
</p><p>Eve’s least favorite part was the completing the seemingly endless boring paperwork. This annoying step required setting up the correct financial account and confirming everything was squared away with the billing process. Eve double checked the legitimacy of her client’s information.</p><p><span class="u">Account Number</span>: 1231993</p><p><span class="u">Account Holder</span>: Mrs. Maria Alvarez</p><p><span class="u">Agreement to abide by terms and conditions</span>: Client’s signature received on Sunday, May 4, 3023</p><p><span class="u">Date of upload</span>: Monday, May 5, 3023</p><p><span class="u">Data Plan</span>: Unlimited</p><p><span class="u">Resort</span>: Twelve Lakes (Peel Inc.)</p><p><span class="u">Payment plan</span>: Direct deposit</p><p><span class="u">Confirmation of payment plan</span>: First payment processed successfully May 5, 3023</p><p>Eve felt a wave of relief as she squared away the clerical details. Now that she confirmed the account information was correct, she could move on from the boring administrative work and focus her attention to the more exciting part of the onboarding process.</p><p>
  <em>Step 2: Step up client’s avatar</em>
</p><p><span class="u">Age</span>: 29 years old</p><p><span class="u">Gender</span>: Female</p><p><span class="u">First Name</span>: Villanelle</p><p><span class="u">Last Name</span>: _____________</p><p>“No last name?” Eve muttered under her breath. She refreshed her forms just to make sure all documentation was downloaded onto her screen.</p><p>“Yep, no last name.” Eve whispered to herself. “Sounds like a real prick. Let’s see what Miss “I’m too good for a last name” looks like.”</p><p>Eve double clicked on the memory bank. Once the program opened, she sorted the memory files in reverse chronological order. Using her mouse, she dragged a fairly recent file into the viewing program and hit play hoping to use the footage to craft the appearance of her client’s avatar.</p><p>The first memory started playing. Her client was sitting in front of a vanity mirror wearing a dark blue robe with tigers embroidered throughout. She had high cheek bones, soft and bright looking skin, hazel eyes with speckles of green shining through, and honey blonde locks pulled back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck.</p><p><em>“Of course, she’s insanely attractive”-, </em>Eve thought to herself.</p><p>“Beautiful.” The young woman said, tilting her head from side to side appraising her appearance from every possible angle.</p><p>
  <em>“- and a narcissist.” </em>
</p><p>Eve paused the video and replayed the last clip. She recorded a sample of her voice to ensure the pitch, cadence, and Russian accent were preserved during the information transfer.  After she was satisfied with the vocals, Eve began sketching the avatar with as much likeness as she could from the recordings.  Crafting her profile took the better part of an hour to achieve. Once satisfied with her handy work, Eve played another clip from the queue of memories in order to complete the rest of the avatar.</p><p>In this memory, Villanelle was standing in front of a full-length mirror. She was smoothing the creases of her form fitting red cocktail dress. The fabric hugged her curves in all the right places sparing Eve no imagination for her avatar. After replaying the clip for the fourth time, Eve was struck by the lost look in Villanelle’s eyes. She almost seemed sad, like something was missing.</p><p>Eve brushed it off the strange, undefinable feeling she felt witnessing this side of her client and engrossed herself in her work. Eventually, she startled from sketching the finishing touches on Villanelle’s torso by Elena’s lude commentary.</p><p>“Nice tits.”</p><p>“Shh, Elena, if Carolyn hears you making wonderfully inappropriate comments about clients <em>again</em> she is going to deduct stars from your customer service rating.”</p><p>“Come on Eve, loosen up a bit! You know I’m right.” Elena said with a suggestive wink.</p><p>Eve was staring at this woman for the better part of an hour to ensure ever detail was as accurate as possible so of course she noticed how perfectly formed this woman was, but she wasn’t about to give Elena the satisfaction of being right. She rolled her eyes at Elena and resumed the finishing touches on the avatar.</p><p>Attention to detail is what separated the 4-star from the 5-star ratings. Every detail mattered.</p><p>Eve combed through the memory clips with meticulous focus, adjusting Villanelle’s virtual appearance with every newly discovered detail. The fact that her client was easy on the eyes was just a perk. What she discovered about her personality, however, was less than desirable.</p><p>From the mirror memories, Eve learned this woman was full of herself, and seemed to have the means to dress extravagantly. She was not much of a people person judging from the time she poured over ice cream onto a child and then proceeded to cackle like a villain for a full two minutes as the child wailed in horror.</p><p>Determined to find at least one redeeming personality trait, Eve riffled through memories from her childhood, but every memory she tried to play gave her the same error message.</p><p>
  <span class="u">Error: 305 Restricted file:</span>
</p><p>
  <em>You do not have authorized clearance to access file per the terms and conditions agreed upon by the client and Peel Inc. Please contact your systems administrator to request access.</em>
</p><p>Eve abandoned her quest for redemption after the fifth consecutive error message. After the avatar was complete, she double checked everything was in order before moving on to the final step.</p><p>
  <em>Step 3: Upload client</em>
</p><p>She transferred all of the queued memory files into the avatar’s database. Once that was completed, she downloaded the avatar into the uploading program, double clicking on Twelve Lakes Resort.</p><p>Eve adjusted her headset and tested the audio function on her mic. “Here we go.”</p><p>After clicking yes to the “<em>Are you sure you want to upload</em>?” pop-up prompt, her screen transformed from editing software to a stark white screen. Tiny pixels of color sparked at random across the monitor. Eve watched the loading bar gradually increase on the bottom right corner of her second monitor indicating Villanelle’s consciousness status.</p><p>She switched on the mic for her headset once the bar was full and spoke clearly into the device.</p><p>“Hello Villanelle, welcome to upload. Are you ready to get started?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Call Me Angel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Villanelle embarks on the first day of the rest of her afterlife with the help of her guardian Eve Polastri.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was nothing. Absolutely nothing.</p><p>Except for a single voice coming from somewhere in the endless void she was trapped in.</p><p>“Hello?” The voice asked over and over like an audio clip stuck on repeat.</p><p>Villanelle didn’t recognize who it was. The sound didn’t resemble anyone she knew, but she could deduce it was a woman’s voice. Northern American, judging by the accent.</p><p>“Villanelle, can you hear me?” The mysterious voice asked again. The woman sounded like she was on the verge of losing the last remnants of her patience.</p><p>“Umm, hi? I can hear you, whoever or whatever you are.” Villanelle finally uttered into the bleak.</p><p>“Yes! I mean, hi Villanelle.” The woman enthusiastically stammered. “I am a person, not an A.I., don’t worry. I’m here to help you. Now that we have established our audio communication is working, we will go forward with setting up the visual connection. Shouldn’t take more than a minute.”</p><p>“Great, because I was getting a little bored of all the dark emptiness.” She tried her best to focus her vision on something, anything in the void; but there was nothing.</p><p>The stranger’s voice was the only thing combating her loneliness.</p><p>“Ok, let’s fix that.” The woman said. Villanelle could have sworn the voice sounded slightly annoyed. “I’m going to need you to picture a large body of water.”</p><p>“Like the ocean?”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter, but sure.”</p><p>“Ok, I’m at the ocean, am I allowed to go for a swim?”</p><p>“What? You don’t have to be in the water I just need you to picture it what it looks like.”</p><p>“What’s the point of looking at the ocean? The ocean is for playing in.”</p><p>“Good grief Villanelle, forget about the ocean.”</p><p>“You’re not being very clear <em>whoever</em> you are, and I don’t think it’s very fair that you know my name when I don’t even know who you are.”</p><p>“Per your agreement with Peel Inc. I can’t disclose my name. You can call me angel instead. Think of me as your personal guardian here to assist you with all your afterlife needs, like being able to see things. Now, let’s try something else. Pretend you’re sitting cross legged on the edge of a dock looking out onto a large lake with crystal clear, blue water in the middle of a bright sunny day. Is that more to your liking?”</p><p>“Yes, <em>angel</em>.” Villanelle said, losing her Russian accent and adopting an American one in an attempt to mock her angel.</p><p>“Are you picturing it? I’m not seeing any changes on my feed.”</p><p>“You didn’t say please.”</p><p>“Villanelle, can you <em>please</em> focus on the lake so we can get on with this?”</p><p>She huffed in frustration but, her angel did say please, so she did as the voice commanded and conjured an image of a lake. She felt a sense of calmness wash over her as she visualized small waves lapping the shore of her imaginary body of water.</p><p>“Excellent, now I want you to <em>please</em> look up from the lake and focus on the trees surrounding the lake.”</p><p>Villanelle kept silent and once again did as the now polite voice instructed. As she focused on the trees, she noticed there were darker and lighter shades of green and blue hues rippling through the void.</p><p>“You’re doing excellent Villanelle. Keep it up, we are almost there. Next, I want you to turn your attention back to the lake. Focus on the sunlight bouncing off the water and how the sun feels on your skin… Please.”</p><p>This time, the darkness began to recede. Villanelle could see something almost like a pixelated, out of focus replication of the lake in the forest she was picturing in her mind.</p><p>“Angel, just so you know I had perfect vision when I was alive.” Concerned that she would be doomed to an eternity of low resolution.</p><p>“The image will become clearer soon. The connection is buffering.” Her angel said in a comforting steady tone.</p><p>“If you say so.” Villanelle conceded, feeling more confident that her angel would clear things up.</p><p>Just as promised, her immediate surrounds became crystal clear as the water of her fictional lake. Only she was now staring at a very real lake. The sun was shining overhead, and she could feel warmth on her skin. She could see her own skin! After checking to make sure she had five fingers on each hand, two legs and ten toes, she edged off the dock to make sure her reflection actually resembled herself.</p><p>“Looking good!” Villanelle exclaimed, very pleased at the beautiful face looking back.</p><p>“Yes, you’re good looking.. I mean you look really good… <em>Your avatar</em> is a very good replication of your former corporeal body.” Villanelle was tickled at how flustered and high pitched the voice was becoming with each word uttered.</p><p>“Have you been checking out my body? That’s not very polite, angel. You should really ask a lady for permission first, consent is important.” She said, watching the cheeky smile form on her face as she teased her angel. Her smile faltered and eyes widened when an Asian woman materialized out of thin air on the dock alongside her. Villanelle was momentarily stunned, eyes transfixed on the narrowed dark brown eyes staring daggers at her reflection.</p><p>“Looking at your body to create your avatar is part of my job which <em>you</em> agreed to let me do per your contract with Peel Inc. as part of your uploading process to Twelve Lakes. Which welcome to Twelve Lakes by the way, your upload is <em>finally c</em>ompleted!” Her angel concluded her passionate rant, chest rising and falling as she caught her breath.</p><p>Villanelle tore her gaze from the lake to properly appraise this brazen woman.</p><p>The woman’s beauty caused her brain to short-circuit, or maybe that was part of the upload process. Villanelle decided that was totally it. It wasn’t the woman’s incredible mane of lush, dark curls cascading across her shoulders, or the slim fit red jumpsuit with plunging neckline, nor the black stilettos clacking along the dock as she paced impatiently waiting for Villanelle’s brain to come up with a response.</p><p>It was the buffering.</p><p>“Did you just upload yourself so you could yell at me in person?” She asked, rising from her sitting position on the dock. Towering ever so slightly over her angel due to the difference in height.</p><p>“No,” Her angel responded rolling her eyes, “this is my avatar. You can call me whenever you need assistance and my avatar will appear.”</p><p>“This is what you <em>really</em> look like?” Villanelle was doubtful this was a non-enhanced form of her angel on display for her clients to see.</p><p>“Well, I mean yeah, minus the clothes. I can’t afford anything this nice in real life, but the rest is all me.” The woman shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting with her hands before finally re-establishing eye contact. “Do you not like the way I look?” Villanelle felt an unfamiliar sinking sensation at this question. Her angel seemed bashful, almost afraid to hear her honest appraisal.</p><p>“I didn’t say that.” She looked her angel up and down one last time for good measure. “The clothes suit you well by the way.” Villanelle could have sworn she saw a blush creep across her angel’s face. But then again, it could just be the heat from the sun. Or could it? She wasn’t entirely sure how avatars and virtual tanning worked yet.</p><p>“Umm, ok.” Her angel responded, running her fingers absent mindedly through her thick curls. “Are you ready to take a tour of Twelve Lakes?”</p><p>“Hmm?” Villanelle shook her head, averting her eyes away from the Korean woman with amazing hair standing next to her to focus her attention on the task at hand. “I mean yes, let’s go.” Villanelle said, following her angel from the dock through the expansive lawn towards the dwarfing resort lodge.</p><p>Her angel yammered on about various amenities, features, and fees associated with living at Twelve Lakes which Villanelle tuned out as she took in her surroundings taking stock of the tennis courts, diving docks into the adjacent lakes, outdoor seating and dining areas, and hiking paths leading into the luscious forests. She tuned back in as they approached the twin oak double doors leading to the reception hall.</p><p>“-because of your unlimited data plan, you will have access to all the premium amenities offered by Twelve Lakes such as buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” Her angel concluded by leading Villanelle to the expansive dining hall with ample seating and full-length windows offering the residents an impeccable view of the manicured lawns and sparking lakes.</p><p>Villanelle stopped dead in her tracks as she scanned the dining room. The tables of food expanded the length of a ball room. Every inch covered with piles of scrumptious delicacies from all over the world, including one of her all-time favorites.</p><p>“Hagelslag!” She all but yelled, digging her hand into the chrome chafing dish to grab one. She took a huge bite of the folded sandwich, sprinkles pouring all over the carpet. Her angel looked on in horror, mouth agape.</p><p>Before she could say, “Opps” a woman wearing a red, bellman’s uniform appeared and began cleaning the floor speaking a mile a minute.</p><p>“Oh dear, looks like someone had a bit of an oopsie-daisy! Allow me to clean that up for you. There we are, good as new. Hope you’re enjoying your stay at Twelve Lakes.”</p><p>Without another word, the woman scurried off back towards the receptionist desk where Villanelle could have sworn, she saw the exact same mousey looking woman with ratty brown hair and stupid red bellman’s cap manning the desk as the one that just cleaned the floor. In fact, now that she was paying closer attention, she noticed many identical versions of this woman scattered around the premise.</p><p>Before she could fully comprehend what was going on, her angel stepped into clear things up.</p><p>“That’s Geraldine. She is the only A.I. in all of Twelve Lakes.” Her angel stated matter-of-factly.</p><p>The longer Villanelle observed the subservient A.I. the more she became overwhelmed with the desire to wipe the cheery grin off its face. “She is <em>really</em> annoying.”</p><p>“She’s A.I., of course she’s annoying. Her sole purpose of existence is to please every single resident. It’s a fate worse than death… No offense.” The angel clarified, averting her eyes from Villanelle’s gaze.</p><p>“None taken.” Villanelle responded. She finished the remainder of her food over the plate her angel handed to her, successfully avoiding any further interaction with Geraldine the A.I.</p><p>Afterwards, her angel introduced her to the layout of the first floor so she could grasp her bearings. She saw the lounging area where she was almost killed for the second time by an unsupervised little girl with wild hair running around chasing a Geraldine and throwing any object she could find in her direction, hit or miss. After surviving the impromptu game of dodge-the-inanimate-object unscathed, Villanelle and her angel proceeded to take the elevator adjacent to the receptionist desk, up to the 12<sup>th</sup> floor to Villanelle’s private quarters.</p><p>Villanelle followed her angel into the sizable flat. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the fireplace in the center of the room that separate the bedroom on the left and the living room on the right. The roaring, crackling fire gave the interior a cozy feeling. Just behind the fireplace was a set of French doors that opened onto a private balcony overlooking the large lake she originally arrived at. These two elements alone were ones she greatly admired within a home. They were big selling points in her book.</p><p>Already feeling at ease within her new space, she circumvented the room heading towards the minibar in the living room, passing several vanity mirrors along the way. She opened the door discovering a selection of pixelated previews of snacks and drinks. Her angel explained this receptacle held and infinite host of treats just within her fingertips, all she had to do was swipe right to view the selection. Villanelle swiped through the selection eventually settling on a glass bottle of sparkling water with a hint of lemon, but when she tried to retrieve the beverage, she heard a buzzing noise akin to a warning siren. A banner instantly appeared above the mini bar stating “Price: 3 credits”.</p><p>“Oh, I should have mentioned,” Her angel interjected, “everything in the minibar comes with an associated price. If you wish to make a purchase, the credits will be deducted from the account you have on file and a notification of purchase will be sent immediately to the account holder for approval.”</p><p>Villanelle gave her angel and half-hearted smile, retracting her hand from the sparkling water and promptly closing the minibar door. She continued walking the perimeter of the room with her angel following a few steps behind. Villanelle briefly glanced out the glass doors to admire the view before heading over to the sleeping quarters. She sat on the bed, bouncing a few times to test the firmness of the mattress and take stock of her reflection in yet another mirror sitting on the nightstand next to an iPad. After quickly appraising her features, she picked up the electronic tablet.</p><p>“There is an algorithm built into the device in tune with your subconscious. The program will suggest items based on your personal wants and needs.” Her angel explained, placing both hands in her front pockets.  Out of curiosity, Villanelle tapped on the device bringing it to life. She was a bit startled by the personal suggestions on the screen: A set of two movie tickets for a private showing at the Disney-Amazon theatre, 50% off bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne, heart shaped arrangement of Dove chocolates, KY lubricant and adjustable strap-</p><p>“Anything good?”</p><p>Villanelle, in her state of panic, threw the device across the room getting the screen as far away from her angel as possible who was standing much closer to her than she realized.</p><p>“I think this one is broken.” Villanelle lied sheepishly.</p><p>Her angel frowned walking over to pick up the iPad, examining the newly cracked screen. “Well now it is.” She sighed promising to get Villanelle a replacement by the end of the day.  She concluded Villanelle’s orientation, by leading her through the French doors and onto her sizable balcony overlooking the large lake she first spotted upon arrival.</p><p>“How are you feeling?” She asked. Villanelle picked up on the lack of frustration that was a constant undertone when her angel addressed her directly.</p><p>“My head feels a little fuzzy right now.” She admitted.</p><p>“That’s a normal part of adjustment to virtual life. It should be gone entirely when you wake up tomorrow. If it bothers you, there are some complimentary Advil tablets in the medicine cabinet in your bathroom.”</p><p>“Why do we have medicine in the virtual afterlife? Do the programmers not understand we are dead?” Her angel laughed causing a foreign fluttering sensation withing her chest. Villanelle attributed this as part of the upload adjustment process.</p><p>“I’m pretty sure they are aware of that. The <em>medicines</em> are more like little debugging programs that can help resolve minor glitches you may experience. I guess the programmers designed them into a form that was more like real life, hence the medicine tablets.”</p><p>“Hmm, clever.” Villanelle admitted.</p><p>She felt the fluttering again when a small smile formed out of the corner of the brunette’s mouth and her eyes shimmered with a look of hope and longing.</p><p>“I think so too.”</p><p>They awkwardly stood on the balcony for a few seconds as if neither one of them knew how to end this interaction. Villanelle did her best not to stare at her angel, her eyes wandering aimlessly until she spotted a large, circular dial next to the window by her door. Her fingers itching with anticipation to turn the dial.</p><p>Her angel broke the silence after a few moments. “Well, I better go. I have other clients to attend to.”</p><p>“Ok, thanks for the tour.”</p><p>“Sure, I mean it’s kind of my job. Just call out for me if you need anything.”</p><p>“I will. Bye for now, angel.”</p><p>“Goodbye for now Villanelle. Oh, and you should go ahead and turn the dial.”</p><p>Villanelle’s eyes darted back to the dial and when she glanced back her angel was gone.</p><p>Now that she was alone, she proceeded to turn the dial. When she did so, the entire scene before her transformed from a summer getaway to a winter wonderland. The lake was frozen over completely and freshly fallen snow blanketed the grounds of Twelve Lakes. With another turn of the dial, the snow and ice melted, and the white speckled forest morphed into a colorful sea of red, yellow, and green. Smiling with delight, she switched the dial setting back to summer deciding to keep her view in line with the real world to maintain  a sense of normalcy.</p><p>She sunk into a reclining longue chair on the balcony allowing the reality of her situation to fully sink in. This was the place she was going to be forever. Admittedly, the last moments of her life had been an unexpected sequence of events, the details of which she was unable to fully recall. Perhaps that was for the best. She didn’t feel the need to dwell on the past; it wasn’t a trait embedded within her nature. What mattered to her was the here and now.</p><p>Right now, she was in a beautiful resort, with her sexy body and a rude and sometimes nice angel. All of this combined was a recipe to make her transition into the afterlife more interesting than she could have anticipated. Her moment of reflection was disrupted by a beeping coming from her iWatch alerting her to incoming call from Maria Alvarez. Villanelle proceeded to extend her left hand outward with her thumb and index finger making the shape of the letter L to receive the call.</p><p>Soon, a screen appeared betwixt her fingers as it would have in real life, and Maria’s face was there smiling at her.</p><p>“Hey babe, oh wow you look so real! Those minimum wage workers at Peel inc. should really get a raise if this is the quality job they do with their premium clients.”</p><p>“Uh, yeah my angel did a great job with the avatar. Happy to hear that you approve.”</p><p>Maria narrowed her eyes in a playful manner, “Mmm, I do. I love your sexy body and beautiful face just the way it is. That’s why I stayed married you over these last couple of years. How lucky that you will look so youthful forever.”</p><p>Despite the compliments about her beauty that Villanelle loved to hear, she couldn’t shake the churning feeling in her stomach at the entirety of her statement.</p><p>“Ha! Yeah, I really won the lottery by dying before I turned thirty.” She said, her tone laced with sarcasm. She dramatically rolled her eyes for good measure to help drive her point home. Both of which were completely lost on Maria.</p><p>“Exactly! Besides it’s way cheaper then preserving your beauty the old-fashioned way with laser surgeries, stem cell injections, and bone shavings. Well, I mean not exactly cheaper per say, it’s still going to cost me a small fortune to keep you uploaded. But, it will all be worth it when we are both uploaded and can spend forever together.” Maria added with a self-satisfied smirk as if their future were perfectly mapped out and everything was going according to plan.</p><p>“At least we can see and talk to each other in the meantime.” Villanelle responded trying to be comforted by this last tether to her former life. She felt that weird feeling in the pit of her stomach again. She contemplated taking a few Advil tablets stashed away in the medicine cabinet the minute this video call ended.</p><p>“Yes, we will, everyday baby just like always!” Maria promised her eyes sparking with what appeared to be adoration. “I miss you. It’s been so hard to get on without you.”</p><p>“I miss you too.” Villanelle said, her admission was cut short by voices rattling off in rapid Spanish pulling Maria’s attention away from the call.</p><p>Villanelle averted her attention from her distracted wife, rising from her seat. She moved to the season dial, turning the nob to the winter setting.</p><p>“Ugh, babe I have to go. I’ll call you soon. Love you, kisses!”</p><p>The line when dead indicating her wife hung up the call.</p><p>“Love you too.” Villanelle uttered to the blank screen. A chilly breeze passed through her as she stood alone on the balcony.</p><p>She strode into the flat grabbing a fleece throw along with two Advil tablets she dry swallowed before walking back outside. She took a seat on the lounge chair wrapping herself securely within the blanket. She sat there in peace watching the snow fall unable to shake the unsettling feeling spreading from her belly throughout the rest of her body.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A huge thank you to those of you that have reached out to me about this story. Your comments and kudos make my day!</p><p>I hope you enjoyed the first Villanelle POV chapter. From here on out the chapters will alternate between Eve and Villanelle's POV.</p><p>Please leave comments with your thoughts, questions, and feelings!</p><p>As always you can reach out to me on tumblr @Please-Return-To-Villanelle</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Just Like Clockwork</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eve's Monday afternoon doesn't not go exactly as planned.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eve placed her headset back on her charging rack just before clocking out for her precious 30-minute lunch break which, thankfully, coincided with Elena’s. She riffled through the sad options on the printer before selecting the newest item that Peel Inc. was pushing as the latest and greatest advent in food printing history and not just another hopeful stream of revenue for the already bloated Peel Inc. empire. Not that Eve minded. Capitalism ventures were just the way of the world she lived in and quite frankly, as long as they kept paying her and made good on her promises of company perks, she didn’t care.</p><p>After her Lean Cuisine Korean street tacos were done printing, Eve passed through the sparsely populated break room towards the only table with a window and settled into the empty chair across from Elena.</p><p>“So, how did everything go with your new upload?” Elena asked through a mouthful of food.</p><p>Eve sighed in frustration, “Exactly as I thought it would. The whole ordeal took more time to complete than the very first uploaded human thanks to her childish behavior and spoiled attitude. I swear I’ll kill again her myself if she jeopardizes my customer service ratings. I finally made it to 4.5 stars after years of slaving away at this job.”</p><p>Elena widened her eyes in astonishment. “Wow! sounds like an awful way to start the week. I’m sorry to hear that you’ll be contractually obligated to serve this princess.”</p><p>“You’re telling me. How has your morning been treating you so far?” Eve inquired before taking a bite of her tacos which, as she anticipated, were mediocre at best.</p><p>“Well, speaking of princesses, Amber was in one of her moods today. So, my morning consisted of groveling, complimentary this and that, 0.5 star deduction. You know, the typical ordeal.”</p><p>Eve sighed. It was only Monday.</p><p>“You want to grab a drink after work today so we can forget about this entire day?” Eve asked pushing aside her half eaten disappointment of a meal.</p><p>“Do you even have to ask?”</p><p>“Great, it will give me something to look forward too. Still have my meeting with the boss this afternoon.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s right! Do you think she’ll go for it?”</p><p>“I sure hope so. Honestly, I’m not sure how much more of this angel business I can take. I just feel like I need to move on for real. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been dreaming about becoming a programmer, but every time I set out to do something about it life gets in the way. There has never been a good time to take classes to make it happen. I just feel like now is the time, you know?”</p><p>When Eve signed the divorce papers, she made a promise to herself that she was going to put her old life behind her and focus on making herself happy. Part of the reason her marriage ended so badly was she met Niko when they were both young. The next thing Eve knew she was married with a mortgage and putting her plans of attending post-graduate programming classes on hold to work full time in order to financially support herself and new husband while he got his teaching career off the ground. As the years passed on, Eve became more comfortable in their routine. She became accustomed to putting his needs before her own and, somewhere over the years, her dream of becoming a programmer was abandoned.</p><p>She was lucky to find an entry level job with Peel Inc. as a customer service representative and well, here she was still catering to dead people. It wasn’t all bad, the perks of working at Peel Inc. included the employee discount for their upload plans. As with everything, their discounts, wages, bonuses, and more were determined by their star ratings. She thought after school she would be forever finished with subjective grading systems masquerading as objective systems of measurement; but, alas, the world she lived in ran on celestial grading from work to dating apps. Which is why she was particularly put off by her latest client who is going to be a royal pain in her ass that she now has to play nice with as long as she remains her designated customer service agent. If she was being honest with herself, she knew she could handle Villanelle. She was by no means her first difficult client. Eve just wanted to have a career she truly cared about. One that made her excited to get up in the morning. She was fascinated by the uploading process and wanted a more behind the scenes role like service technician or dare she dream big, a programmer.</p><p>“If she doesn’t go for it, she’s mad.” Elena said. “You’re too good for this job. Besides, I need you to become a big successful programmer so you can change the personalities on some of my clients.”</p><p>“Ha, in your dreams!”</p><p>They finish up their meals and spent the remainder of their freedom chatting about the series of trash television they binge streamed over the weekend.</p><p>Both women clocked back in to work with mere seconds to spare.</p><p>Eve scanned through the security feeds of her clients making sure they were all doing well. It did nothing to distract her from her buzzing nerves due to the up and coming appointment with Carolyn. Instead, she becomes more jittery the closer it gets to the top of the hour. Deciding it was best to arrive early, Eve collected her folder of prepared documents and took a few meditative breaths to dispel her anxiety. Then she gave herself a last-minute pep talk while striding over to her boss’s corner office.</p><p>Carolyn was a stickler for policies and rules. Knowing this, Eve did her best to make sure she entered the lion’s den as prepared and put together as humanly possible.</p><p>After three deep breathes, two quick knocks, one hurried “Come in”, and a slide of a door opening and closing shut,  Eve found herself sitting in front of Carolyn.</p><p>Heart pounding, palms sweating, and mind completely blank.</p><p>Carolyn sat there stoic as ever tapping her finger with impatience.</p><p>“So, what is this meeting about Eve? It isn’t time for your performance evaluation again is it?”</p><p>“Uhh, no it isn’t. I uh, had something I wanted to discuss with you.”</p><p>“Ahh, well, what is it then?”</p><p>Eve’s brain registered the pile of documents sitting in her lap. She quietly handed the manila folder over to Carolyn who then proceeded to thumb through the documents with a level of disinterest on par with her own abhorrent lack of enthusiasm for organized sporting matches.</p><p>“I presume you are seeking my or rather corporate’s financial blessing to enroll in these classes?”</p><p>Eve’s brain finally rebooted.</p><p>“Yes! That’s exactly why I’m here. You see, my star rating qualifies me for a 75% discount for entry level programming classes. I was hoping to get all the necessary paperwork signed and squared away in time to enroll for the summer classes starting in a few weeks.”</p><p>“Ah, well let’s just take a look at your star ratings.” After a few clicks and keystrokes, Carolyn spoke again. “Hmm, well it appears you don’t exactly qualify.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Eve asked completely puzzled.</p><p>“It’s quite simple Eve, according to company policy you need to maintain a star rating above 4.5 and your rating <em>is</em> exactly 4.5. I’m sorry I can’t process your request at this time.” Carolyn said sliding Eve’s documents back across the desk.</p><p>Eve felt a sinking feeling settle in the pit of her stomach at the realization that her dreams were put on hold once again.</p><p>“But I’m so close and the deadline to enroll in classes is just a few days away.” She remarked trying not to sounds as disappointed as she felt.</p><p>“Yes, it would appear you are close, but do not exactly qualify for financial compensation. May I suggest you focus on improving your star ratings. Feel free to come back and see me once you meet the required threshold above 4.5 stars.”</p><p>Eve sat in the chair too shell-shocked to move. Carolyn blinked a few times as if trying to wish Eve out of her office like a genie. When that didn’t work, she stood up and walked over to the office door holding it open for Eve as a silent order to get out of her office.</p><p>“There will be other classes in the fall.” Carolyn said failing miserably to boost Eve’s morale.</p><p>Eve left the office so lost in her own self-pity she didn’t even notice Kenny until she accidently knocked into him sending her folder flying onto the ground, the contents scattering all over the floor.</p><p>“I’m so sorry” Kenny said. He quickly bent down to help Eve gather the fallen documents.</p><p>Eve joined him. “No, I’m sorry.” After retrieving everything, Kenny relinquished his pile over to Eve. His eye’s lit up with enthusiasm when he noticed the summer program catalog for the programing courses at Metropolis International on 6th Street. </p><p>“Y-you know, I couldn’t help but overhear you’re going to classes at MI6 to become a programmer.” Kenny stammered.</p><p>“Ha, well it doesn’t look like that’s happening anytime soon. Not enough stars for classes.”</p><p>“Ah, that’s a shame. I’ve been a programmer for a few years now and it’s definitely a step up from angel duty. Don’t get me wrong, it can be a tough gig, but I find it much more mentally rewarding.”</p><p>“Sounds lovely.” Eve said smiling sadly. She turned to walk back to her cubicle when Kenny stared talking a mile a minute.</p><p>“Uh, listen, if you ever want to learn a thing or two, I can teach you! You know, show you the basics before you start your classes. This way you can get a taste of what I do to see if it’s what you enjoy before investing money in classes. You know, if you want to that is.”</p><p>Kenny seemed really awkward and nervous. Eve had to assume he wasn’t used to talking to people let along single women. He always seemed sweet and genuine and he remains one of the few co-workers she has never butted heads with. Plus, his reputation as a stellar programer has gone unnoticed by no one, including key members of executive leadership.</p><p>“Really? You would teach me?” Eve asked, hoping he was serious.</p><p>“Yeah, it could be fun.”</p><p>“How much will the lessons cost?”</p><p>“Oh, you don’t have to pay me anything; but umm-,” Kenny glanced nervously towards her desk. “-maybe you could put in a good word for me with your desk mate?”</p><p>Her face lit up and eyes widened with realization.</p><p>“You’re into Elena!” She exclaimed. Kenny quickly pulled her aside near the back of the office suite.</p><p>“Shh, yes ok I fancy her and she seems to trust your judgement. So maybe if you get to know me better, you can judge me for yourself and then hopefully talk me up to her. What do you say? Do we have a deal?”</p><p>“Deal.”</p><p>They shake on it parting ways amicably. Eve turned around quickly as a thought popped into her head.</p><p>“Hey Kenny, do you want to grab drinks with me and Elena tonight?”</p><p>“Uhh, yeah I’d love to.”</p><p>“Ok great. Be ready to go at 5 pm. We will meet you by the elevator.”</p><p>“Sounds great.” Kenny said. He walked away with a smile on his face and a new jaunt in his step.</p><p>The hours ticked by slowly as Eve wrapped up the remainder of her angel duties feeling much better about the future after her conversation with Kenny. He was the best programmer in the office, and possibly in all the Peel Inc. Anything he wanted to teach her was bound to be light years ahead of anything she was going to learn in the introductory classes she was planning on taking this summer.</p><p>Her last order of business was to return the now fixed, virtual iPad to her newest resident.</p><p>She donned her headset, transporting her avatar into Villanelle’s apartment. She gingerly placed the iPad on her bedside table with a sticky note that said, “<em>This one works just fine, I checked – Angel</em>”.</p><p>As she turned to leave, she spotted the younger woman sitting on the porch under a puffy blanket, watching the snow fall. She seemed so small, fragile even, and a little sad. It was a stark contrast to the fiery woman she spent the better part of her morning arguing into existence. She has seen the harsh reality many times with new uploads failing to adjust to the afterlife. They became crushed by the weight of their non-existence while the people in their not-lives continued about their days in the real world; slowly, and inevitably moving on from them until all they have left is upload. Eve’s time was almost up. She decided it would be better to leave her new charge alone allowing her to adjust. She made a note to check up on her first thing in the morning.</p><p>Eve hung up her headset one final time for the day. She then proceeded to gather her belongings while awaiting the arrival of the night angel. Her final task of the day before she was free to leave was providing her pass off summary report of all her clients to the incoming customer service agent. She debated on grabbing a snack while she waited as the night angel was always fashionably late to his shifts.</p><p>Exactly five minutes after 5 pm, the elevator pinged indicating the arrival of her evening counterpart. Just like clockwork.</p><p>He sauntered over to her desk. His stupid lopsided hair-do flopping with every step.</p><p>“Sorry to keep you gorgeous ladies waiting.” He said in his obnoxious posh accent, leaning over Eve’s desk with his shirt halfway unbuttoned.</p><p>Eve sighed with annoyance. “You aren’t sorry in the slightest Hugo.”</p><p>“Yeah, you keep us waiting overtime literally every day.” Elena added.</p><p>“Do not.” Hugo said crossing his arms across his chest.</p><p>“Whatever, sit down so we can give you our updates and go home.” Eve demanded.</p><p>Elena and Eve gave a quick run-down about their clients and any foreseeable issues that Hugo might encounter during the night. When that was over, they collected their belongings and met up with a patiently waiting Kenny who was standing awkwardly by the elevator fidgeting with his hands as if he had no idea what to do with himself.</p><p>“I hope you don’t mind but I invited Kenny to join us for drinks, hope that’s ok.” Eve mentioned in passing.</p><p>“A little weird, but why not. The more the merrier.”</p><p>The trio rode the elevator together in harmony. Together, they headed to the pub around just down the street from the office for their post-Monday workday celebration.</p>
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